Common Queries About GST

The introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a significant step in the field of indirect tax reforms in India. The merger of a large number of Central and State taxes into a single tax would diminish the cascading effect of taxes and pave the way for a common national market, thereby making administration effortless.

Key points:

●     GST would be applicable on the supply of goods or services as against the present concept of tax on the manufacture and sale of goods or services.

●     GST would be a destination-based tax as against the present concept of origin-based tax.

●     The list of exempted goods and services would be kept to a minimum and harmonized for the Centre and the States as far as possible.

●     Exports would be zero-rated.

●     Credit of CGST paid on inputs may be used only for paying CGST on the output. Credit of SGST paid on inputs may be used only for paying SGST on the output.

o     ITC of CGST allowed for payment of CGST.

o     ITC of SGST allowed for payment of SGST.

o     ITC of CGST allowed for payment of CGST & IGST, in that order.

o     ITC of SGST allowed for payment of SGST & IGST, in that order.

o     ITC of IGST allowed for payment of IGST, CGST & SGST, in that order.

The frequently asked queries about GST are listed below:

1.    I have sold goods on 28 Jun 2017, but need to record a sales return on 1 Jul 2017. How do I record my credit note for the sales return?

2.    How do we calculate IGST, when buyer and consignee are in different locations?

3.    What are the different forms to be filed and the current filing dates under GST?

4.    What does invoice matching mean under the GST regime?

5.    How can I get the HSN code for my goods and services?

6.    What is the format of GSTIN?

7.    Are all taxes subsumed under GST?

8.    Are excise and custom duty applicable on tobacco and petro-chemical products even after GST implementation?

9.    What is the HSN code for Tally Software?

10.  One of my clients is importing goods. According to GST returns, we need to upload only sales. How about import purchase? How will it be reflected on my GST portal?

11.  If there are pending returns to be filed from the VAT regime, will they be carried forward to GST?

12.  Is GST content available for Tally Academy Partners to train their students?

13.  Where can I find the schedule for GST seminars or workshops?

14.  What is the procedure to register for GST?

15.  I am a Tally partner/customer. How do I get trained on GST?

16.  How is the input credit liability adjusted against the different GST components?

17.  What is the criteria and eligibility to claim  ITC under the GST regime?

18.  If my GSTR-1 and GSTR-2A are all correct, can I upload my GSTR2 and GSTR 3 together?

1.   I have sold goods on 28 Jun 2017, but need to record a sales return on 1 Jul 2017. How do I record my credit note for the sales return?

Even if VAT rates are levied in the sales invoices recorded on 28 Jun 2017, you need to record the credit note with the GST rates applied to the items returned on 1st Jul 2017.

2.   How do we calculate IGST, when buyer and consignee are in different locations?

IGST is applicable on the goods and services if the buyer's state is different from your business location. Consignee in such cases may be in a different location where the goods can be delivered. Refer to Interstate sales for more information on calculating IGST.

3.   What are the different forms to be filed and the current filing dates under GST?

The following table lists the details of the returns to be filed and the respective filing dates:

Note: The dates are applicable for the respective month and are subject to change after this period.

4.   What does invoice matching mean under the GST regime?

Invoice matching is a mechanism based on which the sales invoices submitted by a supplier is matched against the corresponding purchase invoices submitted by a buyer. According to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law, a buyer can claim input tax credit on purchases only if the outward supply filed in GSTR-1 by the supplier matches the inward supply filed in GSTR-2 by the buyer. Invoice matching is done automatically based on the data filed in GSTR-1 and GSTR-2 by both parties involved in a transaction.

5.   How can I get the HSN code for my goods and services?

You can find the chapter-wise-rate-wise GST rate schedule for goods and services on the website: http://www.cbec.gov.in/htdocs-cbec/gst/index. Alternatively, contact your CA/business consultant for more details.

6.   What is the format of GSTIN?

GSTIN is a 15-digit unique registration number provided to a taxpayer upon successful registration of his business details on the GST portal. For example, the GSTIN obtained in Karnataka would look as follows:

The following table lists the state-wise code used in generating the GSTIN:

7.   Are all taxes subsumed under GST?

The following lists the taxes that will be replaced by GST:

8.   Are excise and custom duty applicable on tobacco and petro-chemical products even after GST implementation?

All goods and services are likely to be covered under GST except the following:

●    Alcohol for human consumption

●    Electricity

●    Sale/purchase of Real Estate

●    Five specified petroleum products (to be brought under GST later on recommendation of GSTC)

●    Tobacco products

9.   What is the HSN code for Tally Software?

The HSN code for Tally.ERP 9 (and all information technology software) in the current regime is 8523.80.20.

10.  One of my clients is importing goods. According to GST returns, we need to upload only sales. How about import purchase? How will it be reflected on my GST portal?

Imports of goods and services are treated as inter-state supplies and therefore IGST will be levied on the import. The incidence of tax will follow the destination principle and the tax revenue in case of SGST will be accrued to the State where the imported goods and services are consumed. Full and complete set-off will be available on the GST paid on import on goods and services.

In general, the supplier of goods or services is liable to pay GST. However, in specified cases like imports and other notified supplies, the liability may be cast on you as the recipient under the reverse charge mechanism. Please note that import purchases will be captured in GSTR-2 in Column 5 - Goods/capital goods received from overseas (Import of goods).

For more information, you can refer to the linked document (http://www.cbec.gov.in/resources/htdocs-cbec/gst/draft-return-formats-26092016.pdf).

11.  If there are pending returns to be filed from the VAT regime, will they be carried forward to GST?

In order to carry forward your available ITC from the VAT regime to GST, you need to ensure that all your compliance formalities in VAT, including VAT returns and payments, are fulfilled. For this purpose, please ensure that all returns are filed and closed in VAT. For more details, you may contact your chartered accountant or visit our blog.

12.  Is GST content available for Tally Academy Partners to train their students?

GST training has already been scheduled for all registered Tally Educational Institutes, and a PPT document on GST has been shared accordingly. The recorded webinar videos are also available on our blog for GST at http://blogs.tallysolutions.com/gst-webinars/.

Please write to rahul.shandilya@tallysolutions.com for further clarification.

13.  Where can I find the schedule for GST seminars or workshops?

The GST workshop or awareness camp is scheduled for customers, partners, and students. For details of the venue and date, visit our blog post (https://tallysolutions.com/events/).

14.  What is the procedure to register for GST?

It is assumed that all existing Central Excise taxpayers are registered under State VAT Department. All existing taxpayers and VAT dealers will be given a provisional ID and password by the state VAT authority. Create your username and password at the GST common portal using this provisional ID and password.

GST common portal: https://www.gst.gov.in/

The detailed procedure for registering is available at: https://tutorial.gst.gov.in/userguide/#t=Enrolment_of_Existing_taxpayer_with_Provisional_ID_and_Password.htm

15.  I am a Tally partner/customer. How do I get trained on GST?

Customers can join the Upcoming Webinars to know more about GST. Alternatively, contact your partners for a product demo, if needed.

Partners can contact their Business manager or Region Sales Manager for more details on the scheduled training in their location.

16.  How is the input credit liability adjusted against the different GST components?

As per the GST act, input tax credit can be adjusted against your GST liability as shown below:

For detailed information, refer to How to Set Off Input Tax Credit Against Tax Liability in the GST Regime.

17.  What is the criteria and eligibility for claiming ITC under the GST regime?

Under the GST regime, input tax credit can be availed by every registered taxable person on all inputs used or intended to be used in the course of or for furtherance of business. However, claiming ITC is subject to certain conditions:

o     You should have the Tax Invoice/Debit or Credit Note issued by a registered person.

o     The goods/services should have been received.

o     You should have filed GSTR-3 for the related month

o     The tax charged has been paid to the government by the supplier, either in cash or through utilization of ITC.

To know about the criteria and eligibility in detail for claiming ITC, refer to the following blogs:

o     Your checklist for availing input tax credit

o     Scenarios where you cannot avail input tax credit

Refer to Transferring Tax Credits of VAT, excise and service tax to GST, for more information.

18.  If my GSTR-1 and GSTR-2A are all correct, can I upload my GSTR2 and GSTR 3 together?

Yes, you can upload GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 together on the same day. GSTR is an auto-populated return, and therefore, you need to download the same on or after 20th of the month when the return was filed. This helps in calculating GST liability payable after adjusting the provisional ITC. However, you can pay your GST liability in advance which will be credited to your e-cash leger on the GST portal. While generating GSTR-3, the same e-cash ledger will be debited up to the payable amount.

19.  What is the difference between B2C large and B2C small invoices?

To know more, refer B2C description in GSTR-1 and Recording B2C invoices in Tally.ERP 9.